Viking Aton Named In Aswan, Joins Egypt Fleet For Fascinating Pharaohs & Pyramids Itinerary

Viking has named its newest river ship, the Viking Aton, during a special celebration in Aswan, Egypt where the ship’s ceremonial godfather, Richard Riveire offered a blessing of good fortune and safe sailing. The Viking Aton is a state-of-the-art vessel specially designed to navigate the Nile. It will sail Viking’s popular Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary and is an identical sister ship of the Viking Osiris.

Richard Riveire, AIA, NCARB, IIDA designed Viking’s award-winning river, ocean and expedition vessels and is the founding Principal of the internationally recognized interior design firm Rottet Studio. The Aton’s naming ceremony was inspired by naval tradition dating back thousands of years.

Viking Aton Naming Ceremony

Torstein Hagen is the Chairman of Viking and he stated “Today, we are pleased to welcome Viking Aton to our growing fleet. Together with her sister ship, the Viking Osiris, they are the newest and most elegant vessels on the Nile, by far.”

He added that “With extraordinarily strong interest in Egypt among our guests, we are proud to bring another state-of-the-art vessel to this region, and we look forward to introducing even more curious travelers to the country’s rich cultural treasures. I am also thankful to my friend, Richard Riveire, for his tremendous contributions to Viking, including the design of this new vessel and our other award-winning river, ocean and expedition ships.”

Viking News: Richard Riveire is the Godfather of the Viking Aton

“It is an incredible honor to be the godfather of the Viking Aton and to celebrate the growing Viking fleet,” said Richard Riveire. “For well over a decade, I have been proud to work alongside Tor, Karine and the Viking team to help design how the Viking brand comes to life on board. Together, we share the belief that the design of each Viking ship should showcase the destination, wherever you may be in the world.”

Riveire is acclaimed for creating dynamic, groundbreaking interiors focused on human comfort and visual inspiration. Over the course of his illustrious career, he has received numerous design excellence awards from organizations including American Institute of Architects, Interior Design Magazine, and the International Interior Design Association. He has also managed high-profile hospitality and entertainment industry projects including the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, Presidential Bungalows at The Beverly Hills Hotel, and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel & Residences at LA Live.

Viking Travel News: The Viking Aton & Viking’s Growing Egypt Fleet

The Viking Aton is the latest vessel built specifically for the Nile. In addition to the Viking Aton and its sister ship the Viking Osiris, the identical sister ships Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek are under construction and will be delivered in 2024 and 2025, respectively. The Egypt fleet also includes the Viking Ra and the MS Antares. By 2025, Viking will have six ships sailing the Nile River.

The new Viking Aton showcases the elegant Scandinavian design that the company is known for on all of its award-winning river and ocean ships. The Viking Aton hosts 82 guests in 41 staterooms and has a distinctive square bow and an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace.

Viking’s Pharaohs & Pyramids Itinerary

Guests on the 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary begin their adventure with a three-night stay at a first-class hotel in Cairo. While there, guests can visit legendary sites such as the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Saqqara (also known as “Sakkara”) and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali.

From Cairo guests fly to Luxor, where they visit the Temples of Luxor and Karnak before boarding a Viking river ship for an eight-day roundtrip cruise on the Nile River. All guests enjoy Privileged Access to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, as well as excursions to the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena, the temples at Abu Simbel and the High Dam in Aswan.

Viking guests also tour a colorful Nubian village, and the journey concludes with a flight back to Cairo for a final night in the ancient city.

Viking: Guests Enjoy Privileged Access

Guests who want to extend their journey can book Pre and Post Extensions that provide Privileged Access to archives and exhibits. Guests on the five-day British Collections of Ancient Egypt extension begin their journey in London, where they will meet their Viking Tour Director, an expert Egyptologist, and experience Privileged Access to two museums: a private, early morning visit to the Egyptian Collection at the British Museum, and a visit to the home and personal museum of world-renowned architect, Sir John Soane. This tour includes a candlelight re-enactment of how Soane entertained guests and showcased his exquisite collection of Egyptian antiquities, including a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus.

Guests also visit London’s Petrie Museum, which contains over 80,000 artifacts from ancient Egypt and Sudan. In Oxford, guests will visit one of the oldest museums in the world, the Ashmolean Museum, home to a varied collection of Egyptian mummies and art. They also tour Oxford University’s Griffith Institute and have Privileged Access to see Howard Carter’s archives, which detail the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Finally, guests enjoy Privileged Access to Highclere Castle to view the Earl’s stunning private collection of Egyptian artifacts, plus archives and exhibits not normally accessible to the public.

Viking: Pre and Post Extensions

Guests may also book a new three-night Pre-Extension in Istanbul, where they can tour important religious sites including the “Blue Mosque” and the legendary Hagia Sophia. Before they set sail, guests can also choose to extend their journey in Jerusalem where they can take in the sights and of Israel’s intriguing capital, full of ancient history and vibrant culture.

Finally, after concluding their river voyage, guests may extend the journey with a 4-night Post-Extension to Jordan – Petra, Dead Sea & Amman to view Roman antiquities at Jerash, Crusader-era castles at Kerak or Shobak and tour the lost city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Photo credit: Viking